Hötensleben was a place that was not supposed to exist officially. Situated within the 500-metre restricted zone in front of the border, the village was not meant to become a magnet for emigrants, which is why it was not marked on GDR maps. Former residents recount courageous escape attempts and memories of life between barbed wire and minefields. In this way, life in the shadow of the border becomes tangible on this walk.

The Hötensleben border memorial still bears witness today to the surreal situation in which the inhabitants lived for over forty years: watchtowers, minefields and dog patrols bordered the village on two sides. Many residents were either part of the border guard or were secretly considering escape.